The invention disclosed herein relates to portable water purification systems. More particularly, the invention disclosed herein relates to an improved portable water purification system with reduced leaks and the capability of automatic draining of a boiling tank.
One known water treatment method to improve the purity and taste of drinking water is distillation. Distillation involves boiling water to generate steam, and then condensing the steam to form water with a reduced amount of contaminants. The contaminants, which have a vaporization temperature higher than that of water, remain in the boiler, while solvents having a boiling point lower than water may be separated from the steam by venting prior to condensation.
Previous attempts at forming portable distillation systems for use in purifying drinking water are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,281,309 and 5,464,531. The devices in these patents are adapted to be directly mounted onto a water cooler dispensing unit as a replacement for the conventional water bottle. These devices utilize a control mechanism disposed between the feed tank and the boiler to prevent backflow from the boiler to the feed tank and to control the water level within the boiler. In addition, these devices utilize a filter between the condenser coil and the distilled water tank to filter the water before the water enters the distilled water tank. A float switch disposed in the distilled water tank prevents overfilling of the tank. However, in the event of failure of the float switch, the distilled water tank can overflow and lead to water spillage. Further, the location of the filter is less than optimal, since the parts of the system must be designed to allow the filter to be accessible from outside the housing of the distilling unit.
There is, however, a continuing need for improved portable distillation systems that are simpler in design and which prevent water spillage and leaks.
The invention provides an improved portable water purification system with reduced leaks and the capability of automatic draining of a boiling tank, as well as a method of preventing water spillage from a portable water purification system and a method of draining a boiling tank of a portable water purification system.
One aspect of the invention is a portable water purification system that comprises a control tank that is connected to a water supply, a boiling tank that is connected to the control tank for boiling water, a condenser that is connected to the boiling tank for receiving steam from the boiling tank and for condensing the steam to form distilled water, and a distilled water tank that is connected to the condenser for collecting distilled water from the condenser. An inlet solenoid control valve is disposed between the water supply and the control tank, with the inlet solenoid control valve controlling flow of water to the control tank.
Another aspect of the invention is a portable water purification system that comprises a control tank connected to a water supply, a boiling tank connected to the control tank for boiling water, a condenser connected to the boiling tank for receiving steam from the boiling tank and for condensing the steam to form distilled water, a distilled water tank connected to the condenser for collecting distilled water from the condenser, a drain line connected to the boiling tank, a solenoid operated drain valve controlling flow through the drain line, and a cooling water line extending between the water supply and the drain line.
A further aspect of the invention is a water purification system that comprises a control tank connected to a water supply, a boiling tank connected to the control tank for boiling water, a condenser connected to the boiling tank for receiving steam from the boiling tank and for condensing the steam to form distilled water, a distilled water tank connected to the condenser for collecting distilled water from the condenser, and means for preventing water spillage from the system.
Yet another aspect of the invention is a method of preventing water spillage in a portable water purification system that includes a control tank, a boiling tank, and a distilled water tank. The method comprises providing an inlet solenoid control valve between the control tank and a water supply line, with the inlet control valve capable of controlling the inflow of water to the control tank; providing a switch in at least one of the control tank and the distilled water tank, the switch being activated and providing a signal when the control tank or the distilled water tank is full; and closing the inlet solenoid control valve in response to the signal from the switch, thereby preventing further inflow of water to the control tank.
An additional aspect of the invention is a method of draining a boiling tank of a portable water purification system. The method comprises opening a drain valve to drain water at a first temperature from the boiling tank through a drain line, and mixing inlet water at a second temperature with the water at the first temperature from the boiling tank, wherein the mixing occurs within the drain line and the second temperature is lower than the first temperature.